RAGLAN CASTLE—ROYAL VISITS.

While the Earl of Glamorgan was zealously prosecuting Charles the First’s designs in Ireland, he had left his Countess under his father’s protection at Raglan Castle. At the commencement of this period the noble Marquis would be in about the 63rd year of his age, rather feeble, and a martyr to gout, which his fondness for claret may have aggravated; a pleasant story being related by his chaplain, that on the physician recommending abstinence from his favourite beverage, he declared that he would rather incur the attacks of his old enemy than abandon his favourite claret.[7]

Between the years 1640 and 1641 Raglan Castle had been strongly garrisoned, when much activity was evinced in providing and securing stores, arms, and the munitions of war. It must, therefore, have worn a very animated and impressive appearance, occupied as it was by hundreds of soldiers, with a large number of war-horses. The exercising of the troops would most likely take place daily in the extensive paved or pitched court, under full view of the drawing-room windows, a spacious upper apartment, ranging behind the hexagonal towers of the grand entrance, all of which remain to this day.

A contemporary writer[93] states that in the hall windows of this princely castle might be seen the ancient arms:—Argent, a lion rampant, sable, within a garter. Thomas Lord Morley, died 1416; and an old carving on the outside walls, representing three lions rampant, impaling, a fess, in chief three martlets.

In the adjoining village of Raglan the old parish church of St. Cadocus had its large pedestal sun-dial perfect, its yew-tree flourishing, and its burial-ground hedged in with trees. Within the sacred edifice, the Worcester chapel possessed its funeral ornaments in varieties of fine marble, sculptured with artistic skill. Against the north wall was the statue of an armed knight, in parliamentary robes, decorated with the Garter, in memory of William Somerset, who died 21st of March, 1589, aged 61 years. Another fair monument consisted of two statues, male and female, under an arch between the chancel and this chapel; he in parliamentary robes, garter, badge, sans gloire, an earl’s crown, and the privy-seal purse. Edward Somerset died 1627–8.[93]

Dr. Bayly, in his capacity of chaplain to the then Marquis of Worcester, appears to have resided in the Castle from 1643 to 1646. His collection of the Marquis’s sayings and family anecdotes, under the title of “Apophthegms,” includes some antecedent matters related on the authority of others. He expressly remarks:—“I have lived in Raglan Castle three years, and in all that time I never saw a man drunk, nor heard an oath amongst any of all his servants; neither did I ever see a better ordered family.”

He describes from hearsay, in his usual gossiping strain, the ceremony of a mock wedding, which was conducted as a kind of masque at the Castle some years previously, on the occasion of the marriage of the Marquis’s fourth daughter Elizabeth to Francis Brown, Viscount Montagu, the particulars of which graphically illustrate the domestic manners and customs prevailing in those times, affording also a fair example of the Marquis’s own peculiar humour, and further offering a scene in which there can be little doubt that the then Lord Herbert fully participated: for he would scarcely have absented himself on so important an occasion as that of his sister’s marriage.

Dr. Bayly expresses himself as not being sure whether the mock ceremony happened on the occasion of Lord Herbert’s marriage, or on that of his fourth sister Elizabeth.[23] However, it seems that no sooner had the marriage party been seated at the feast provided for the occasion, than, as the chaplain states, “Tom Deputy, an old bachelor, chanced to cast his eye upon a pretty piece of waiting woman, one of the appurtenances of this honourable bride. He, this jovial Tom, having whetted his wits by the sides of the marriage bowl, fixes upon her, being enabled sufficiently thereby to follow any humour, as a fit subject to make their lordships some sport; which happened to be so suitable to the occasion and so well performed, that it soon captivated the ears also.” Tom, being informed he may have the lady for asking, makes that request of the fair bride, remarking, “I protest I will marry her, and fancy myself to be a lord, and herself a lady. My mind to me a kingdom is, which shall make her a sufficient jointure.”

“Tom, Tom,” said the Marquis, “such men as you and I, whose joints are enfeebled with the strokes of many years, must not think to win young maids, by promising to make them jointures of the mind, but will you make her Deputy of Deputy Hall? and landlady of all the land that is belonging to it? and mistress of all the stock that is upon the land, and goods that are within the house, and then you shall hear what my daughter[A] and her waiting woman will say unto you.”

“With all my heart,” said Tom, “and all the hogs and poultry that are about the house to boot, and she shall lie upon six feather-beds the first night.”

Matters being arranged after some jocular preliminary promises, Tom telling the bride that they were agreed, the lady drank to him, he promising to marry her after dinner; the only difficulty appearing to arise from the want of wedding clothes. The Marquis, willing to remove that obstacle, told Tom that he thought his clothes would fit him, and bid him go into his wardrobe, and take what he had a mind to.

“Give me your key,” said Tom; and receiving it, went up, and equipped himself with the Marquis’s beaver hat, satin cloak laid with plush, daubed with a gold and silver lace, suit of the same, silk-stockings, with roses and garters suitable, inside and outside, cap-a-pie, all as brave as if he carried a lordship on his back.

“The lady bride takes her woman aside, and dresses her in one of her richest and newest gowns, with all things answerable thereto, not without some store of slight jewels, and brings her down as glorious as the morn that breaks from the eastern hill, and chases night away.

“Tom acted this scene of mirth in the Hall, which proved to be a thing of that convenience, as if it had been an act of some set policy to keep the crowd out of the parlour, that the Masquers might have room enough to dance in. At last, when the Masque was ended, and Time had brought in supper, the Cushion led the dance out of the Parlour into the Hall,[B] and saluted the old new-made bridgroom and his lady, leading them into the parlour to a table which was furnished with the same allowance that was allotted for all the nobles; where they were soon forced to sit down,” and were bountifully served.

“Supper being ended, the Marquis of Worcester asked the Lady, his daughter, if she had a hundred pounds about her. No, my Lord, she answered, but I can send for as much. I pray do, said the Marquis, but it must be all in gold. She sent for it accordingly, presenting it to her father, who pulled out another purse of a hundred pieces; and put the two hundred pieces in the basin, saying—‘Madam, if you do not give earnest, Deputy will tell you in the morning, that he married your woman but in jest.’ Whereupon some gave fifty, others forty, some twenty, others ten, the least gave five pieces, who sat at the table, in all seven hundred pounds; the apparel and other gifts amounting to no less value than one thousand pounds, which so transported the old man, that he protested, that now he was in the humour, he would marry all the waiting gentlewomen they had; one every day in the week, as long as the wedding lasted.”

Thomas, however, was at that period of the entertainment overcome with the potent effects of the good wine of which he had freely partaken. The Marquis, desirous of making the practical experiment of trying whether Thomas could be persuaded that the past was all a dream; had him carried to his old lodging in the Porter’s Lodge, and disrobed of his fine clothes, which was done accordingly. Next morning the experiment realized all their expectations; and the Marquis, after many good exhortations to both parties, delivered unto them the money that had been collected.

During the troubles preceding the civil war, a circumstance occurred at the castle which establishes the early attachment of the Earl of Glamorgan to scientific and mechanical pursuits, whilst it affords tolerably conclusive proof of his having actually constructed the identical invention which has immortalized his name.

Dr. Bayly informs us, to quote his own words, that “At the beginning of this Parliament (Nov. 1640), there were certain rustics who came into Raglan Castle to search for arms, his Lordship being a Papist.” The Marquis met them at the castle gate, desiring to know whether they came to take away his money, seeing they intended to disarm him. They stated that they made the application merely in consequence of his being a recusant. To which he replied, “he was a peer of the realm, and no convict recusant, therefore the law could not in reason take notice of any such things.” Finding some sharp and dubious expressions coming from the Marquis, they were at last willing to take his word; but he, not wishing to part with them on such easy terms, had before resolved to return them one fright for another. With that view he conveyed them up and down the castle, until at length he “brought them over a high bridge that arched over the moat, that was between the castle and the great tower,[C] wherein the Lord Herbert had newly contrived certain water-works, which, when the several engines and wheels were to be set a-going, much quantity of water, through the hollow conveyances of the aqueducts, was to be let down from the top of the high tower; which, upon the first entrance of these wonderful asinegoes, the Marquis had given order that these cataracts should begin to fall, which made such a fearful and hideous noise, by reason of the hollowness of the tower, and neighbouring echoes of the castle, and the waters that were between, and round about, that there was such a roaring as if the mouth of hell had been wide open, and all the devils conjured up, occasioning the poor silly men to stand so amazed, as if they had been half dead; and yet they saw nothing. At last, as the plot was laid, up came a man staring and running, crying out, Look to yourselves, my masters, for the lions are got loose. Whereupon the searchers tumbled so over one another escaping down the stairs, that it was thought one half of them would break their necks, never looking behind them until out of sight of the castle.”[23]

It was probably not long after the commencement of the civil war that the occurrence we have next to notice happened at the castle, affecting the then Lord Herbert, which is related by the family chronicler in his 48th Apophthegm thus:—“My Lord Herbert of Raglan (eldest son of the Marquis) came into Raglan Castle, attended with 40 or 50 officers and commanders; and his business with his father being about procuring from the old man more money for the King, the Lord Herbert in his request unto his father (unhappily and unawares) chanced to use the word must; which his father (the Marquis) laying hold on, asked him, Must you? I pray take it; and threw him the keys of his treasury, out of his pocket; whereat his son was wonderfully out of countenance, and abashed (being otherwise ever a dutiful and respectful son to his father) replied: ‘Sir, the word was out before I was aware, I do not intend to put it in force; I pray will you put up your key again?’

“To which the Marquis returned his son these words. ‘Truly, son, I shall think my keys not safe in my pocket, whilst you have so many swords by your side; nor that I have the command of my house whilst you have so many officers in it; nor that I am at my own disposal, whilst you have so many commanders.’

“My Lord (replied the son), I do not intend that they shall stay in the castle, I mean they shall be gone.

“I pray let them (said the Marquis), and have care that must do not stay behind.

“Whereat, after my Lord Herbert was gone out of the room, there were some who, as mannerly as they could, blamed the Marquis for his too much severity to his son, after that he had seen him express so much of sorrow for that over-slip; whereupon the Marquis replied:—‘Hark ye, if my son be dejected, I can raise him when I please; but it is a question, if he should once take a head, whether I could bring him lower when I list. Ned was not wont to use such courtship to me, and I believe he intended a better word for his father; but must was for the King.’”[23]

In August, 1644, Charles the First wrote to the Marquis, in the following gracious and flattering terms:[D]

“Worcester,

“I am sensible of the great affection which you and your son have expressed unto me, by eminent services, and of the means he may have of doing me more in that way wherein he is now engaging himself, that I cannot choose, before his going, but express unto you, in a very particular manner, the value I have of you both, and to assure you, that if God bless me, I will not be behind-hand with either of you. In the meantime, finding your son so much more desirous that there should be placed upon you some mark of my favour, rather than upon himself, I have thought fit to let you know that as soon as I shall confer the Order of the Garter upon any, you shall receive it as a testimony of my being,

“Your assured constant friend,

“Charles R.

“Liskeard, Aug. 2nd, 1644.”

And again, the same month, he further assured and promised him as follows:—[E]

“Worcester,

“Yours and your son’s daily endeavours to serve me, makes me think which way to give you assurance of my gracious acceptance. And, therefore, as a further testimony, I have sent you this enclosed, only known to him and me, and fit, for several reasons of importance to you and me, to be kept private, until I shall esteem the time convenient, when, as God shall enable me, I will show my tender care of you and yours; as, by a match propounded for your grandchild, you will easily judge; the particulars I leave to your son, Glamorgan his relation, which I have commanded him to make to you only; and you may be confident that I so much esteem your merits, and your upholding your son in my service (wherein no subject I have equals either of you), as that I cannot think anything too much that lies in my power; though, as yet, some considerations hinder me from doing all I would towards you and yours. But, by your son’s endeavours, I make no question but in short time to pass them so over, as that I shall make good the intentions I have, to manifest that I esteem your services such as my words cannot express them; nor I, but by showing myself at all occasions, and in all things to be,

“Your assured friend,

“Charles R.

“For the Marquis of Worcester.”

Which communication conveyed the following enclosure, prepared some time previously.[F]

“Charles R.

“Our will and pleasure is, that you prepare a bill for our signature, for creating our right trusty and entirely-beloved cousin, Henry, Marquis of Worcester, Duke of Somerset, to him and the heirs male of his body issuing, with all the privileges and immunities thereunto belonging, and with a grant of an annuity of fifty pounds yearly, to be paid to him and them, out of our customs of Swansea, in our county of Glamorgan, for the support of the said dignity, for which this shall be your sufficient warrant. Given at our Court in Oxford, the sixth day of January, in the twentieth year of our reign.

“To our Attorney or Solicitor-General

“for the time being.”

After the fatal battle of Naseby, 14th June, 1645, the position of Charles the First becoming desperate, he early sought the repose and security afforded by Raglan Castle, with the equally or more important purpose of stimulating a further drain on the fast diminishing resources of its munificent proprietor. It will be requisite to relate some particulars in reference to these royal visits from their connection with this memoir, incidentally proving the position and prospects of the Earl of Glamorgan; while they account for much of both his father’s and his own misplaced confidence in the fickle monarch and false friend, whose obligations to the aged Marquis of Worcester and his noble minded son were equally of personal as well as political importance to him, during the many mischances of his career at that most critical period of his reign.

On Thursday, the 3rd of July, 1645, late in the afternoon, Charles the First arrived at Raglan Castle, where he was received with all possible state and ceremony. We are informed that:—When the King first entered the castle, the Marquis having kissed the King’s hand, on rising, he saluted his Majesty with the compliment—Domine non sum dignus. The King replied:—“My Lord, I may very well answer you again; I have not found so great faith in Israel; for no man would trust me with so much money as you have done.” To which the Marquis rejoined:—“I hope your Majesty will prove a defender of the faith.”[23] He was entertained to supper on the occasion, remaining at the castle until Wednesday, the 16th of the same month, when his Majesty left to proceed to Cardiff.

From a Warrant issued on the 5th of July, 1645, we learn the losses sustained by and the situation of the Earl of Glamorgan’s regiment of horse. It is a manuscript in the Harleian Collection, as follows:—[G]

“Whereas the Earl of Glamorgan’s regiment of horse being over at least 200, is now by reason of continual duty, 2 troops taken from it, and 60: (sic) more lost in fight, much weaker, therefore it is desired that the remainder of this horse may be by order secured in Colonel Lingen’s regiment; till such time the rest of the money by the said Earl, appointed for the raising of his regiment, may be received.”

On Friday, the 18th of July, his Majesty returning to the Castle dined there, continuing his visit until the 22nd, when he set out for a place called The Creek. In the evening, however, he had supper at the Castle, and remained there until Thursday, the 24th. He purposed going to Bristol, but apprehending the approach of the Scots, on arriving at The Creek, he went thence to Newport, Cardiff, Radnor, and Ludlow Castle. After a lapse of six weeks, his Majesty, on Sunday, the 7th of September, paid his third visit to Raglan Castle in time to partake of supper. He staid until Monday, the 15th of September,[H] when he took a final leave of his bountiful host. During this last visit his Majesty appears, on different occasions, to have gone to Abergavenny on the 8th and 11th, attended with his guards.[56]

Much misapprehension prevails respecting these royal visits, which it is clear were made on three distinct occasions, his Majesty staying the first time thirteen days, on the second six days, and on the last eight days.

A singular instance of the Marquis’s freedom in addressing the King occurs in the following statement made by his chaplain:—[23]

“The Marquis had a mind to tell the King as handsomely as he could, of some of his (as he thought) faults; and thus he contrived his plot against the time that his Majesty was wont to give his Lordship a visit, as commonly he used to do, after dinner. His Lordship had the book of John Gower[I] lying before him on the table; the King, casting his eye upon the book, told the Marquis that he had never seen it before.

“Oh,” said the Marquis, “it is a book of books, which if your Majesty had been well versed in, it would have made you a King of Kings.”

“Why so, my Lord?” said the King.

“Why,” said the Marquis, “here is set down how Aristotle brought up and instructed Alexander the Great in all his rudiments, and the principles belonging to a prince.”

“And under the persons of Alexander and Aristotle, he read the King such a lesson, that all the standers by were amazed at his boldness; and the King, supposing that he had gone further than his text would have given him leave, asked the Marquis whether he had his lesson by heart, or whether he spoke out of the book.

“Sir,” the Marquis replied, “if you could read my heart, it may be you might find it there; or if your Majesty please to get it by heart, I will lend you my book.”

“Which latter proffer the King accepted, and did borrow it.

“Nay,” said the Marquis, “I will lend it you upon these conditions: 1. That you read it; and 2. That you make use of it.”

“But perceiving how some of the new made Lords fretted and bit their thumbs at certain passages in the Marquis’s discourse, he thought a little to please his Majesty, though he displeased them, the men who were so much displeased already, protesting unto his Majesty that no man was so much for the absolute power of a King as Aristotle. Desiring the book out of the King’s hand, he told the King he would show him one remarkable passage to that purpose; turning to that place that had this verse, viz.:—

“Whereupon there were divers new-made Lords who slunk out of the room, which the King observing, told the Marquis—

“My Lord, at this rate you will drive away all my nobility.”

“I protest unto your Majesty,” the Marquis replied, “I am as new a made lord as any of them all, but I was never called knave and rogue so much in all my life, as I have been since I received this last honour; and why should they not bear their shares?”

An incident is related as occurring during one of the entertainments given to the royal visitor, which is too characteristic to be omitted. A dessert of Welsh grown fruit having been provided, had to be presented to the King. Sir Thomas Somerset, the Marquis’s brother, living at Troy House, five miles from Raglan, delighted much in fine gardens and orchards, ordering and replenishing them with all the varieties of choicest fruits. He sent his brother a present of fair, ripe fruit, which the Marquis could not suffer to be presented to the King by any other hands than his own, the particulars of which are circumstantially detailed by Dr. Bayly, who was very likely an eye-witness. He says:—“In comes the Marquis to the King, at the latter end of the supper, led by the arm, having such a goodly presence with him, that his being led became him, rather like some ceremony of state, than show of impotence; and his slow pace, occasioned by his infirmity, expressed a Spanish gravity rather than feebleness. Thus, with a silver dish in each hand filled with rarities, and a little basket upon his arm, as a supply in case his Majesty should be over-bountiful of his favours to the ladies that were standers by.” Making his third obeisance, he, in his own peculiar mode of pleasantry, presenting the fruit, observed: “I assure your Majesty that this present came from Troy.”

The royal reply was no less witty. The King, smiling, said, “Truly, my Lord, I have heard that corn now grows where Troy town stood, but I never thought there had grown any apricots there before. ”[23]

During his stay at Raglan the King made the tour of neighbouring towns. At the Castle he was sumptuously entertained; the apartment he occupied is still marked by its fine large remaining window, and its proximity to the picture gallery; also the Pleasaunce or Bowling-green, where he sought amusement and exercise.

It was most likely about or soon after the King’s last visit that the next circumstance occurred we shall have to record affecting the Earl of Glamorgan, which is related as follows by Dr. Bayly:—[23]

“My Lord Herbert, after that he had sufficiently exhausted his father, by all the means he could possibly use, for his Majesty’s relief, and had taken up all his father’s moneys far and near, where he could either prevail with force or argument, he chanced to hear of a sum of money to the value of £6000, which the Marquis had committed to the Lord John (his son), his care and trusty preservation abroad. This money my Lord Herbert happened to hear of, and acquaints the King therewith, engaging the King in the business, and tells the King, that if he would send for his brother the Lord John, to come unto him, and would say but thus and thus unto him, that he would undertake he might have the £6000. The King’s occasions were then urgent (being then before Gloucester, and hard pinched for lack of money); through my Lord Herbert’s persuasion, my Lord John was sent for, came, and the business took effect; the King promising to repay it by such a time. When time and suspicion persuaded the Marquis to call in his money, excuses made delays for a time, but at last all excuses being set apart, by importunity, the Marquis wished his son John to go and fetch the money, or else never to see his face any more; part of which injunction the Lord John performed, but never the other. Not long after the Lord Herbert coming to his father, his father received him with wonted, but unexpected, cheerfulness. It so happened that my Lord Herbert began to excuse himself unto his father, concerning this business; on whom the father bestowed this language:—‘Son, I pray save yourself the labour, for I do not blame you at all, neither am I angry with you; for I never trusted you with the money. I love no man the worse for following his profession; and you have made it your profession (all along) to deceive your father, to help the King; but I do not love a man that will take away another man’s profession from him, and deceive his own father of his money, and his brother of his calling.’”

In 1650, the chronicler of this anecdote dedicated his book to the subject of it, in the following strain:—“The many favours which I received from your noble family, especially from your Lordship, wrought upon a disposition, some-deal a pretender unto gratitude, how it might, in some measure or other, answer the respect and clear the heart, that had lain charged so long with benefits.” Such expressions seem to qualify the sense in which the affair just related should be taken, coming as it does from no unfriendly hand, and certainly could never have been indited in the way of serious censure on the prevailing character of Lord Herbert. While we cannot omit relating so striking a family incident, it evidently should not be too rigidly construed, when the recorder of it dedicates the recital to Lord Herbert himself at a future day, without offering any apology for introducing a narrative, which, to modern ears, reads exceedingly harsh and offensive; but it is clear that the Sub-Dean of Wells, never contemplated any unfavourable construction, relying probably on the generally well known character of his Lordship at the time of publication.